FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): Fort Wayne’s unemployment rate is down slightly.

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development says the Fort Wayne metro area’s unemployment rate is at 4.4% as of the end of February; that’s down one-tenth of a percent from January but still one full percentage point higher than February 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing.

Part of the lower unemployment number is also due to a drop in the local labor force – which is made up of those who either have a job or are actively looking for one – by more than 1,700 people.

Researcher Rachel Blakeman tells the Journal Gazette she’s watching for more workers to rejoin the labor force as coronavirus vaccines become more available.